Philosophy of the Dragon of the West
by Wolvenfire86
Summary: Here is a special series of the teachings of Iroh. Unlike my other "just for fun" Fanfics, I really wanted to send a message to people. Please read: THIS IS IMPORTANT.
1. On Gentleness

**Philosophy of the Dragon of the West**

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**Here is a 10 part story about Iroh and what I learned from him and the teachings of the east.**

**The Tao Te Ching, Bruce Lee's works, and the teachings of the Buddha helped guide me to these stories. I added my own personal beliefs and analysis' of their wisdom of course.**

**I wrote these a long time ago, but I wanted to post these now, after so many people favorited me, so that more people would read them. Unlike other fanfictions, which are mostly just for fun, THESE STORIES ARE IMPORTANT!!**

**[I don't own Iroh, Zuko or Avatar.]**

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**_Gentleness is the key to survival…_**

"What?!" Zuko asked, holding his stance, eager to practice more fire bending techniques. Their ship rocked up and down on the chilly waves of South Pole. The silence of the frozen lands carried Iroh's voice to his nephew's ears with ease.

"Zuko…a violent life will have a violent ending. There is only so much damage one person can do until damage falls back upon them. However, a gentle man knows when to yield and leave a fight. And if you leave a fight, you live! You live to fight another day."

Zuko listened to Iroh, intrigued by what he was hearing.

"A gentle man knows how to make other people love him. So, should the need to fight ever come again…his friends will be his shield. Love will be his shield. And he will not have to raise a finger to win any battle. So, my nephew, do not put too much faith in your muscles. One day they will fail you. But gentleness can be used at any age."

Zuko looked down. His eyes softened for a moment. Then quickly became steely.

"The Avatar will not be so gentle when I attack him." Zuko fired a blast of flames into the sky. "So I won't be gentle to him either."

Iroh sighed. He knew Zuko's inner turmoil would not be fixed easily, but the prince was making it harder.


	2. On Good and Evil

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**_That which is labeled good…is evil_**

"Run that by me again?" Zuko looked confused. He sat in the haul of their ship. His uncle had decided to have a conversation with him to pass the time on their way to Kyoshi Island, which they began to sail to after hearing the Avatar might be there.

"You see, my nephew, there are many different methods and paths to follow in this world. But the very moment you declare one of those ways to be infallibly good, you simultaneously declare any other way to be flawed. You declare it to be the opposite of good, which is evil."

"So? What's wrong with that?" Zuko sneered at his Uncle. "If it's right one way, why bother with any other way?

"Zuko…life is constantly changing. Change is the only thing that is permanent in life. Just because one idea works today, that does not necessarily mean it will work tomorrow. And just because something _doesn't_ work today, does not mean that it will not work later.

But by declaring a single idea to be 'good' or 'the only way'…to say that it is incapable of being improved upon…that prevents someone from experimenting with other solutions that may, in fact, be more effective.

And then that _good way_ will be like a weight tied on your leg, only holding you down rather than giving you strength. Many wise men have destroyed themselves by refusing to let go of stale and out-of-date ideals."

"I see…" Zuko said.

"You do?" Iroh was surprised.

"Yes. If I want to get what I want, then I need to think of different ways to get it. There's lots of ways to capture the Avatar. I just need to be creative. Thank you Uncle. For once, your ramblings came in handy."

Iroh groaned as the young Prince left. He was not getting through to him.

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**This story will have the last 6 stories in Tales of The Dragon of the West, plus 4 new ones, so keep your eyes pealed.**

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	3. On Making Mistakes

_**Mistakes are our greatest teachers…**_

A thunder bolt clapped as Iroh finished his sentence. Zuko did not budge; Iroh was not sure if he heard him. The boy had not said anything since the storm started, still upset over his last encounter with the Avatar.

"Zuko…" Iroh swallowed a lump in his throat. "…I know that you are not happy right now."

He stayed silent, hiding in the darkness.

"Don't take it so hard, Zuko. You have done nothing to be ashamed of. As I just said, a mistake is a lesson in disguise. There are a million lessons in defeat, but none in victory. You have actually become stronger through this, even if you don't realize it yet Are you listening to me?"

Zuko didn't say a word. Iroh gulped again and remembered the cursed wall at Ba Sing Se.

"I know what it is like to fail, Zuko." He said, clenching his fists.

Zuko rolled over and glance at his uncle, finally hearing him out.

"I know how much it hurts. But it is not how many times we fall that count." Iroh put his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "What matters is how many times we get back up. When we make the decision to not run away or surrender, that is when we change our lives. If you want to stay down, then fine. If you want to get back up, I will help you. I promise Zuko…as long as you don't give up, I will stay by your side."

Zuko stared at Iroh for a moment, then looked away, not saying a word.

Iroh took his hand off his shoulder, trying not to sigh.

He stood up and stepped away from Zuko's bed.

"…thank you Uncle." Zuko said softly just before he left his room.


	4. On Enemies

**_There is no enemy…_**

"What?" Zuko gasped, flabbergasted. What his uncle had told him didn't make any sense.

Zuko had been stealing from the local Earth Kingdom village. Everyday he came back to their cave with more expensive items. Iroh knew that the reason Zuko felt he was justified in theft was because he still believed that the Earth Kingdom was their enemy. So the wise old man felt that Zuko needed to hear some advanced teachings, whether he was ready for them or not.

"There is no enemy, in this world or the next." Iroh sipped his tea, waiting to hear Zuko respond, but he heard nothing. Zuko sat patiently, waiting to hear why his Uncle would say something so odd.

"Well…" Iroh put his tea cup down. "…we are Fire Nation. The Avatar is our enemy. But from where he is standing, he is the hero and we are the enemy. The concept of 'hero' and 'enemy' are subjective terms. They are made-up, created by our own imaginations whenever struggle arises."

The Prince continued to listen.

"The only way someone can justify clearly evil acts is if they label the victim of those dark deeds as _an enemy_. Therefore, my nephew, that idea of labeling people as a true villain is unfair and foolish. For the Avatar is our enemy but only because we say he is. But if you were to take that label away from him, he'd just be a human being…like you and I."

Zuko looked at the ground and thought about what his Uncle had said. Iroh could see that he was carefully pondering his words, clashing them against what his own father had taught him.

A few moments later, the Prince stood up.

"You're a crazy old man." He said and left the cave.

Iroh sighed. He sensed that his nephew's frustration was only growing.


	5. On Allegiance

**_Under the Heavens, there is but one family…_**

"Uncle…" Zuko's eyes narrowed at the old man. He was not willing to hear yet another speech, even though Iroh was the one teaching him today. Zuko had wanted to learn how to redirect lightning, not more unless "wisdom of his elders", as Iroh called it.

"Zuko…you need to understand this." Iroh said, almost demanding that his nephew listen.

Zuko crossed his arms and grunted.

Iroh took a stick and drew two circles.

"This…" He poked one. "…represents the Fire Nation. There other, the Earth Kingdom. They are called Fire and Earth because people say they are. But look closer. Both are just dirt. The Earth Kingdom colonies are our property only because we say they are. But those people belong to only One. _Our_ people belong to only One. Every human in this world is part of the same family. Indifference to our fellow man causes intense suffering. We are all brothers and sisters to one another, and that includes the richest nobleman and the poorest beggar. That includes the strongest fighter and the weakest monk…"

Zuko was looking away from his uncle, ignoring the enlightened words of his elder.

"…that includes a banished prince and an widely accepted Avatar." Iroh said, desperate to reach him.

Zuko jumped up and spat smoke in his uncle's face.

"You're a crazy! You don't know what you are talking about, and if you weren't born into this family, you'd be nothing! You'd be a beggar in the streets!" Zuko turned his back on his uncle, stamping his feet as he left.

Sorrow covered Iroh's face, but not because of Zuko's insult. Iroh was sad because he felt the pain inside his nephew. He knew that, if he did not change his ways, when he reached the crossroads of his destiny…he would not make the right choice.


	6. On Happiness

_**Happiness is a good home, good food…and a beautiful girl waiting to see you…**_

Iroh smiled goofily as he helped Zuko fix up his hair. He could see his nephew blushing in the mirror, wondering what Jin would think when she saw his new hairdo.

"I don't see you smiling Zuko. Er, I mean Lee." Iroh's grin lessened as he combed Zuko's bangs back. "Honestly, I think _that_ is a kind of happiness that a man can work towards and not be disappointed. Having someone who worries when you do not come home on time is a human necessity, even if most do not realize it. A warm home filled with love, a table with something hot to eat, and a pretty girl smiling at you…tell me, what could be better than that?"

"Anything at all." Zuko moaned.

"Come on now. Do you know how many people don't have any of those things? No home, no food. Then…there are people who _have_ plenty of food and a big house but no loved ones, and they are still miserable. Do not take what you have for granted my nephew, or it will vanish before your eyes."

"Can you please just finish?" Zuko begged Iroh.

"Don't be so sour. You are going to see a beautiful woman tonight. You better be nice to her, she's a good customer."

"Uh huh." Zuko lowered his head between his shoulders.

"All done. You look…" Iroh paused. His nephew looked incredibly dorky. "…nice."

"Tch." Zuko huffed out a sound and headed towards the tea shop's exit.

"Wait!" Iroh pulled out a small parchment from his pocket and shoved it into Zuko's hand. "That is a coupon for a free cup of tea. So the girl will definitively come back to see you."

"Yeah, yeah." Zuko didn't make eye contact.

"Okay." Iroh brushed off Zuko's shoulders, just to be safe, and his nephew sighed. "Go get her Lee."

Zuko rolled his eyes and left.

"I want a boy for my first grandchild!" Iroh shouted, purposely trying to embarrass him.

"You're not my father!!!" Zuko yelled, cheeks red.

Iroh's heart skipped a beat when he heard Zuko say that. Once again, Iroh was reminded of that painful truth. No matter how much advice he gave Zuko, no matter how many times he helped him, Zuko was not his son.


	7. On Choice

**_It is not what a man _**_can_**_ do, but what a man _**_chooses _**_to do…_**

"Uncle, stop." Zuko was getting angrier with him by the second.

Though Iroh was trapped inside the glowing green crystals, his spirit persisted.

Even when they were miles underneath the palace of the Earth King, they could not escape Azula's madness. She had followed Zuko and poisoned her brother's mind with a twisted offer to join her. Iroh saw how interested Zuko seemed when he heard his sister's proposal and he knew that this, at the crossroads of his destiny, was the last chance Iroh had to help his nephew make the right choice.

"Zuko…do not believe what Azula had said to you. You do not have to listen to her just because you are her brother or the prince. Your title is not what determines who you become. Your wealth, your power…it's all meaningless compared to thing."

"Uncle…"

"A man is what he chooses to be. It is _your_ choice Zuko. It had always been _your_ choice! You are the only person who has been making yourself feel angry and sad and guilty. And your refusal to let go of your desires is the real source of your suffering. You have more power than you realize. All you have to do…"

"Uncle…" Zuko felt his impatience turn to anger.

"…is just take control! Just ask yourself 'what is the right thing to do'. You know the answer, you always have. I believe in you Zuko. I can see your mother's eyes when I look at you, and…"

"BE QUIET!!!" Zuko yelled at the wise old man with a thunderous cry. "You are a stupid, hypocritical old fool! All you ever do is lecture on what other people should do, but what have you done that is so great? What has the great Dragon of the West done in his entire life that would be considered good? Slay the last two dragons? Break down the walls of Ba Sing Se and kill every Earth Kingdom warrior who got in his way? Let his son die right in front of him and come home a loser?!"

Zuko's face was distorted with rage. His whole expression was as ugly as the scar over his eye.

"Fine! If it's a choice that you expect me to make…then I _will_ choose for myself." Zuko walked away from his uncle, down the path that Azula had left for him.

"Zuko!" Iroh yelled out one last time, but he knew it was too late. He knew his nephew was already far beyond his reach.


	8. On Knowing Everything

**"_A wise man…does NOT know…"_**

"So…this is your room. I guess, ya know…for now." Sokka said.

Zuko slammed his bag down on the old mattress, ready to relax.

"Unpack. Lunch…soon. Uh…welcome aboard." Sokka nervously spoke his enemy who had suddenly become his ally. Zuko looked back at him, smiled and nodded, but did not say anything. Sokka left, feeling very awkward.

The former prince searched through his pack. With him, he carried his swords, a change of clothes, a bag of Fire Flakes. Nothing of real value…except for one thing.

He pulled out an ink painting of his uncle, back when he was a 'proud' member of the Fire Nation, back when he ever present in Zuko's life.

Zuko smiled when he saw his uncle's face, unable to forget the kind of man he was. The last time Zuko was at the Western Air Temple, his uncle had told him something. He shared with him some great wisdom. Zuko did not understand what he meant back then, back when he was consumed by rage and frustration. But now that his mind was clear and that he was on the right path, he knew what his uncle meant.

"_If I have to, I will spend everyday of the rest of life hunting the Avatar." Zuko looked down. "I know it's my destiny to capture him." The young prince felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and then heard kind words flow into his ears._

"_You know Prince Zuko, destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out, but if you keep an open mind…and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny some day." Iroh smiled at him. For the first time since his father scarred him, Zuko smiled back. Iroh figured that he should keep going while he had the boy in a good mood._

"_I have discovered my destiny." Iroh continued. "It took me most of my life to realize what it was. But the funny thing was that I always __**thought**__ I knew. Thinking that I knew the answer to everything prevented me from learning new things, things that may have helped me long ago. After all, just because something is correct in one situation, does not mean that it will be correct in another. The truth was that I did not know much of anything, and I will never know __**every**__thing."_

_Iroh eyes shifted towards his nephew. Zuko was patiently waiting for him to say more._

"_I have been alive for…well, quite some time. But I will continue to learn till the day I die. There are so many things to learn, so many places to go, so many stories to tell…" Iroh paused. "If you lived for a million years, you'd still never hear all of the stories, all of the adventures this world has to offer. Your knowledge, your wisdom, your skills…they can only improve if you acknowledge that the road ahead of you is endless. If you stop walking down that road, then you will never progress. So, understand Zuko…a wise man does **NOT** know. A wise man knows, whether he is a young boy or an old man…that he still has much to learn."_

Zuko smiled, remembering all that his uncle had done for him, everything that he taught him, and how he never gave up on Zuko…even when Zuko had given up on himself.

He remembered the endless stories his uncle told him, some that seemed too incredible to be real. The tales of The Dragon of The West, as farfetched as they often seemed, were more than just a collection of fables.

It was a man. It was a life. It was the choices he made, his imperfections, his flaws, his failures. It was a road that was very difficult to travel, but worth the journey.

And now, Zuko was about to walk down his own road. Iroh had pointed him in the right direction.


	9. On Being a Leader

_**Manage your own life properly, and you can manage an entire nation…**_

Iroh poured Zuko tea, even though he didn't ask for a refill. The Jasmine Dragon had a rule of free refills to men as important as the Fire Lord.

"Uncle, please don't give me a parable now. I really need some help." Zuko asked him for advice, genuinely needing it. "I mean…if you will stay here, all the way in the Earth Kingdom…" Zuko swallowed a big lump in his throat. "…I may never see you again. I need some advice. One last bit of advice. What would you tell someone who is about to run a whole nation?"

"First of all, who says that I will never see you again?" Iroh smiled at his misguided nephew. "Second, I will never stop giving you advice, _even_ if we never see each other again. And third, I meant what I just said."

Iroh sat down and cleared his throat.

"A nation is much like a living person. A creature can only stay alive if all of its body is functioning properly, meaning that it needs balance. You cannot sustain a nation is you focus only on its armies, or on its navy, or on any one thing. All things must be given an equal amount of time, in the same way a person gives time to his friends and his family and his job."

Zuko sipped his tea, memorizing each word his uncle said, at last knowing how important his words were.

"Balance is the key to everything. You can never achieve _permanent_ balance, no matter what you do or how hard you try. Or do _not_ try, for that matter."

Iroh paused again. It had become habitual.

"But the important thing is to never stop trying to achieve that harmony. Just do what you need to do. Perform all actions with patience and wisdom. And do not forget who you are."

"Thank you uncle." Zuko smiled and sat up straighter, as if a weight had been lifted off his back.

"My pleasure, Fire Lord." Iroh bowed. Instead of receive the same a bow as deep, Zuko grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

Iroh never though he'd see the day that Zuko would hug him for a lecture, but Iroh also never thought that he conquer Ba Sing Se again either.


	10. On Dying

**Dedicated to my parents, who taught me so much. Dedicated to my teachers, who did not give up. Dedicated to my role models, who guided my way. Dedicated to my brother, who lit up my day.**

**And this is also dedicated to Iroh, who taught me more than I ever thought a cartoon ever could.**

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**On Dying**

"Well?" Fire Lord Zuko asked.

"He's very cold…and he's having trouble keeping his eyes open." Avatar Aang paused and lowered his head. "He's ready."

Zuko inhaled.

"He wants to see you." Aang said, holding the curtain open. Zuko nodded and went inside. Aang closed the curtains behind him.

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There he was, the mighty Dragon of the West, as frail and as weak as the day he was born. He had spent the last twenty six years of his life working in the little tea shop in Ba Sing Se, handling most of the work by himself. He even moved into the floor above it so he could keep an eye on it.

Zuko had not been there to see him ages, but now that Iroh was ready to leave the world of the living, Zuko regretted ever going away.

"Uncle?" Zuko asked to see if he was awake.

His wrinkled head lean toward the warm voice, shaking softly like a baby rattle.

"…there…is my nephew." Iroh's smile was as young as a child's. His gentle, warming eyes were the only other thing that did not age.

"Uncle, I'm so sorry." Zuko ran to his side, got down on his knees and grabbed his uncle's withered hand.

"Easy now, easy." Iroh spoke calmly, with no fear of his life ending.

"I should have come sooner." Zuko lowered his head.

"You were busy. Being Fire Lord is a great responsibility."

"I could have left earlier. I know I could have. Uncle, you mean so much to me." Zuko began to cry. "I don't want you to die."

"Why not?" Iroh asked with a cough.

"Because…" Zuko thought about it. "Because I need you here. I haven't learned enough from you."

Iroh laughed gently. It sounded like his lungs were hurting. "You silly boy. I was not there for decades…and you took care of our country. You did not fail me. You were able to walk on your own two feet without."

"Uncle…" Zuko didn't say anything.

"Zuko, do not be sad." Iroh spoke slowly, loosing strength with each word. "Death is not evil. It is not the enemy. It is as natural as puberty, as natural as aging, as natural as breathing. It is something everyone must do in life. This…is how it is supposed to be. Our role models, our parents, our mentors…they _need_ to leave us. Their purpose is not to always hold our hands, but to teach us how to walk on our own. It is essential that they do not stay forever, so that their survivors can move on." Iroh coughed heavily "And…and so their students can become teachers themselves."

"I…understand." Zuko _did_ understand, he _really_ did, but he still didn't like it.

"And besides…" Iroh smiled wider and closed his eyes, giggling to himself. "…death is not the end. Not really. Tell me Zuko, your favorite story when you were a boy, the one that inspired you…when did it end?"

"What?" Zuko gripped Iroh's hand tighter. "I don't understand."

"Your favorite story. You favorite adventure. The fable that changed your life. It will always be there. Even if the last chapter finishes, the Story does not end. Stories never end."

Iroh struggled to pull himself out of his covers. Zuko tried to push him down, but the Dragon was stubborn. He reached out with his boney finger, and touched Zuko's heart.

"It is here Zuko. That is where the Story stays. The characters that you loved, the ones that taught you and helped you through the hard times. They are always going to be right there." Iroh paused. "And so will I. Don't ever forget that."

Zuko's composure vanished. Like a river breaking through a weakened dam, he began to weep like a young child and hugged his uncle gently.

"There, there." Iroh patted his shoulder. Zuko remembered when Iroh would slap his back so hard that he'd nearly fall over. Now, Zuko felt a pat as gentle and as chilling as a breeze in winter.

"I don't want you to leave." Zuko's tears landed on his uncle's robe, the clothes that he'd be buried in.

"I know. And I don't really want to leave…now that you are here again." Iroh paused as Zuko cried. "But…there is one last thing I have to tell you. Before I have to go."

Iroh sat back down in his bed, preparing himself. He grabbed Zuko's still young hand and patted his knuckles.

"You have done something wonderful by being here, my boy. No man should die wondering what it was he left behind. I was not sure of what my legacy was going to be until I saw you. You being here means more to me than anything else. You have done more than you know by just _being_ here." Iroh smiled again. "I'm a happy man."

Zuko cried. He never felt so helpless before. He covered his eyes with his free hand, ashamed of his weakness. Blinded, he did not see Iroh close his own eyes.

"Thank you…for everything…" Zuko hesitated. He felt Iroh's hand become cold as ice. "…father. Thank you father. You were always...always..." Iroh's lungs emptied out, his final breath departing. Zuko sobbed and screamed into his palm.

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Zuko would never know if Iroh heard what he said, that he was the _real_ father in his life, that he was the _real_ guardian. But a happy grin stayed on the old man's face even after his spirit left. And a tear on his cheek rolled down his wrinkles so slowly, like it was holding on long enough for Zuko to look down and see it.

Maybe Iroh _did_ hear him. Maybe he did not. Later, Aang would tell Zuko that Iroh already knew, regardless. And that he loved him.

After so many years of strife and pain, searching for wisdom and knowledge, becoming a legend and having a Story so amazing that most would never believe it, the final page had turned.

The Dragon was finally gone.


End file.
